The Tymon
The Tymon are a technologically advanced human empire situated on the outskirts of the Eastern Fringe that survived the Age of Strife. The Great Crusade never reached their pocket of space and until establishing contact with the Imperium they believed that they were the sole remnants of humanity. It is ruled nominally by Domus Tiamat, the current High Domus, though the real power is Adrammelech the Undying. History Beginnings The people who would come to be known as the Tymon settled far out in the Eastern Fringe, the very edge of human civilization at the time of late M22. These small colonies were intended to be research facilities, with only modest populations, but with a larger amount of technology made available to them. When the warp storms erupted, starting off the Age of Strife, their system, like many others, were cut off from the rest of humanity. Rather than risk traveling through the perilous conditions, the colonists decided to wait the storms out. Founding By the time the Age of Strife ended, the people of these distant colonies had developed into a nation of their own, complete with an economy, military and government. Once the warp storms abated, they sent out expeditions to find out what had happened to the rest of humanity. To their shock, they found that where there had once been prosperous human worlds, nothing but ruins remained. Even backwater colonies had been utterly wiped out. These were grim findings; these worlds had also been at the edge of human dominance in the galaxy and if they had been destroyed, then it was all but assured that everything else was as well. Now convinced that they were the last of humanity left in the galaxy, the people declared themselves the Tymon, and vowed that they would not let humanity fade into nothingness. Building an Empire The Tymon now set about establishing a resurgent human empire in the galaxy. Unlike the Imperium's Great Crusade, this was a slow and meticulous process; as there was no evidence of any other human activity, the Tymon felt they could not afford to overextend themselves and thus be vulnerable to any number of outside forces. Each new world they colonized or conquered was carefully nurtured to become an integral part of the Tymon in order to minimize inernal turmoil. By M29, the Tymon controlled an empire of almost fifty worlds. Conflict with the Eldar The Tymon's first contact with the Eldar was not a pleasant one and would start a chain of events that would lead the Tymon to declare all Eldar their sworn enemies. During M31, an Eldar craftworld came across one of their Maiden Worlds that the Tymon had occupied and used as a burial site for their honored dead. Enraged by what they felt was a defilement of what was rightfully theirs, the Eldar attacked without warning, massacring the world's caretakers and desecrating the resting places of the Tymon's dead. Outraged, the Tymon quickly marshaled their forces to take revenge on the Eldar, only to be soundly defeated. It was now that Adrammelech, the one who would come to be the power behind the Tymon, would show his merit. The Eldar remained on the world, continuing to destroy the Tymon's burial grounds. Once more, the Tymon returned to take revenge for the destruction of their burial grounds. The Eldar thought little of the second attack; they had beaten the Tymon before and they would do so again. This arrogance would cost them dearly. Technology The Tymon are highly advanced, surpassing the Imperium in several areas. The most notable example of their technology is their use of biomechanics, a hybridization of organic and metallic components. This technology is utilized in virtually every field, from space travel to civilian life. The military, being the dominant power of the Tymon, are given priority over the civilians. That being said, even the lowest born Tymon is afforded something. FTL Drive Unlike the Imperium, the Tymon do not use the Warp to travel through space. Instead, they make use of a drive that folds the space arond them. Using this drive, the Tymon's ships do not actually go faster than the speed of light, but rather cause the space in front to contract and to expand behind it. While a bit slower than Warp travel, it is far safer and more reliable. This drive, however, is reserved solely for the military. Civilian spacecrafts are restricted to drives that will only serve to traverse small distances, mostly between planets in a system. Reverse Engineered Tech. The most advanced examples of the Tymon's technology are the result of imitating Necron technology, though they are unaware of what the Necrons truly are. Though the Tymon's versions are greatly inferior, requiring them to be scaled up in order to increase their power, they are still quite potent. These mostly come in the form of weapons, such as the Excoriation Blaster, which has been based off gauss technology. Military Though the High Domus may claim to be the head of Tymon society, it is the military that holds the real power. As such, much of their technology is devoted to improving and arming their forces. The Tymon abide by the idea of "quality over quantity;" as they have a far smaller population base to draw upon than the Imperium, they must instead rely on superior soliders rather than sheer numbers. It is a meritocratic system and promotion is based on how capable one is. The creation of a Tymon warrior is similar to that of a Space Marine. Both undergo extensive genetic modification and rigorous training in order to prepare them for the terrors that the galaxy has in store for them. The difference between the two is that the Tymon's modifications are not limited to men and women are quite capable of undergoing the process themselves. In addition, these enhancements have a much lower chance of rejection. In terms of combat ability, the average Tymon warrior is comparable to the average Space Marine. Augmentations Mandatory Implants Redundant Heart-''' Acts to increase blood flow and provides a backup in case the initial heart fails. '''Redundant Lungs- An extra pair of lungs, they allow the Tymon warrior to function in atmospheres that have low oxygen content or are incredibly toxic. The lungs also increase the endurance of the warrior, increasing his or her oxygen intake. Rapasu- Implanted at the base of the spine, this organ combines the functions of a Space Marine's Ossmodula and Biscopea, serving to stimulate growth of both the skeletal and muscular systems and to strengthen both. This organ has to be monitored carefully, as it can easily cause a warrior's joints to grow at painful angles, or cause the muscles to grind the body up. Vascular Symbiote- A bio-engineered organism implanted within the chest cavity, the symbiote enriches the blood, making it more efficient at carrying oxygen and protects its host from disease. Should its host become injured, it will also secrete special cells to staunch blood-flow and prevent infection, acting in tandem with the warrior's armor. Sittu Node- Implanted at the back of the cerebrum, this organ allows a Tymon warrior to go for weeks without sleep. Akalu Gland- Implanted into the stomach wall, this allows the Tymon to eat and digest virtually anything and will also neutralize toxic matter. As an added bonus, the stomach acids are rendered incredibly corrosive and some crafty warriors can induce a gag reflex to vomit on an opponent, allowing the virulent acids to dissolve the unfortunate enemy. Asar- The counterpart to the Occulobe, this enhances eyesight, allows the warrior to see into different spectrums of light, and can function almost in total darkness. Electroreceptors- Bundles of nerves implanted within the neck and shoulders. They serve to sense the natural electric fields of creatures, giving the warrior a sixth-sense. It is highly effictive in aquatic environments. Electro-organs- These electricity-generating organs are implanted along the length of the spine and serve as the power source for the armor. Armor Symbiote- The final implant, the armor is actually another bio-engineered organism that is implanted alongside the electro-organs. The armor amplifies its host's strength tenfold and is capable of weathering incredible punishment. It is also lightweight and allows for greater manouverability. When not in use, the armor resides in the body, marked by two rows of protrusions going down the back. Optional Implants Nematocysts- '''A second skin rife with thousands of bulb-shaped dermal organs that fire off poisoned barbs with the force of a stubber round on contact with another creature. The venom in the barbs is highly lethal, some able to cause death within the span of two-thousandths of a second. This implant is greatly favored within the Caresser Cults. '''Offensive Electro-organs- An upgraded version of the normal form, these organs are capable of storing enough electricity to fry an Ork Nob. They can also be used to temporarily incapacitate an opponent if they are wanted alive. Dragon's Breath- Two glands implanted at the back of the mouth that release chemicals that ignite upon coming into contact with each other. The liquid clings to the target and it is difficult to extinguish. Regenerator Organ- This implant grants its user regenerative abilities beyond a normal warrior. The organ is capable of healing severe wounds and even regrowing whole limbs in a short time. This implant is very difficult and costly to make, so it is reserved only for the upper echelons of the military. Burning Blood- This implant works in tandem with the Vascular Symbiote to make the blood of the warrior highly acidic. Wounds inflicted upon them will likely result in an opponent being severely burned by the corrosive blood. This implant is generally taken by those who prefer close-quarters combat, such as those of the Caresser Cults. This implant, however, is quite dangerous; if the blood chemistry is not kept in check, the users could find themselves being dissolved alive by their own blood. As its presence will interfere with live-saving surgeries, it is often paired with the Regenerator organ to compensate. Commanders Sarrum The highest rank of the Tymon's military hierarchy, these beings are battle embodied. Human physiology can only be enchanced so far; when genetic engineering has reached its limit, biomechanical enhancements are used instead to empower these mighty warriors. They have been so heavily augmented or so badly injured that they can no longer remove their armor and so wear it as a permanent reminder of their status and service to the Tymon. Much like the Chapter Masters of the Space Marines, each one has centuries of combat experience that stretches back to being a simple warrior.